This invention relates to a powdered, gel-forming composition and more particularly to a one-package, gel-forming, dry-mix composition which rapidly forms a gel having good texture.
Gelatin dessert gels are well-known and highly regarded by consumers. However, as crystalline gelatin is not soluble in cold water, recipes for making gelatin gels call for dissolution of the gelatin in boiling water. The gelatin solution must then be cooled to below about 70xc2x0 F. (21.1xc2x0 C.) in order to effect gelation. Typically about a two-hour period is necessary in order to produce gelatin desserts. There has long been a desire to provide a gelled dessert in quick-gel form. Such a product would not have to be prepared hours in advance of consumption, but could be made ready for consumption within minutes. The prior art has disclosed methods for producing cold-water soluble gelatin; however, the length of time needed to set the gel is still in the one to two hour range.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,389,393 to Hembling et al. describes an alginate-based dry mix for preparing quick-setting gels. This patent, which is hereby incorporated by reference, produced a desirable, instant gel utilizing an agglomerated calcium salt as a component.
The present invention describes a dry mix for producing quick-set alginate gels having improved texture as compared to the aforementioned Hembling et al. patent. The dry mix of this invention includes sodium or potassium alginate in readily dispensable form, sweetener and/or bulking agent, acid, buffer, flavor, color and a slowly-soluble calcium salt incorporated in a crystalline sugar matrix. Desirably the mix also includes an anti-oxidant in an amount to increase the clarity of the gel and a cupric and/or ferric compound to catalyze the reaction of the anti-oxidant with dissolved oxygen.
The sweetener may include sugars, and/or intensive sweeteners such as aspartame, asulfame-K, sucralose, saccharine, dihydrochalcone, cyclamate and the like.
As used herein all percentages are by weight unless specifically stated otherwise. Particle size distributions are recited in terms of weight distributions on U.S. Standard Sieves.